Lightweight container base
A container including an opening defined by a finish portion, and a base at an end of the container opposite to the opening. The base includes a standing ring extending inward from a heal to a center pushup portion. The center pushup portion includes an pushup ring surrounding an inversion portion. In an as-blown position the inversion portion extends outward and beyond the pushup ring such that the inversion portion is further from the opening than the pushup ring. In a final position the inversion portion is inverted relative to the as-blown position such that the inversion portion extends inward so as to be closer to the opening than the pushup ring. The inversion portion is mechanically moved from the as-blown position to the filled position with an inversion device after the container has been filled to reduce vacuum or increase pressure within the container.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/465,494, which is a continuation-in-part of PCT International Application No. PCT/US2013/057708 filed Aug. 30, 2013, which is a continuation-in-part of PCT International Application No. PCT/US2012/053367 filed Aug. 31, 2012, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/529,285, filed on Aug. 31, 2011. The entire disclosures of each of the above-referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELDThis disclosure generally relates to containers for retaining a commodity, such as a solid or liquid commodity. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a container having an optimized base design to provide a balanced vacuum and pressure response, while minimizing container weight.
BACKGROUNDThis section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. This section also provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
As a result of environmental and other concerns, plastic containers, more specifically polyester and even more specifically polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers are now being used more than ever to package numerous commodities previously supplied in glass containers. Manufacturers and fillers, as well as consumers, have recognized that PET containers are lightweight, inexpensive, recyclable and manufacturable in large quantities. Blow-molded plastic containers have become commonplace in packaging numerous commodities. PET is a crystallizable polymer, meaning that it is available in an amorphous form or a semi-crystalline form. The ability of a PET container to maintain its material integrity relates to the percentage of the PET container in crystalline form, also known as the “crystallinity” of the PET container. The following equation defines the percentage of crystallinity as a volume fraction:
where ρ is the density of the PET material; pa is the density of pure amorphous PET material (1.333 g/cc); and pc is the density of pure crystalline material (1.455 g/cc).
Container manufacturers use mechanical processing and thermal processing to increase the PET polymer crystallinity of a container. Mechanical processing involves orienting the amorphous material to achieve strain hardening. This processing commonly involves stretching an injection molded PET preform along a longitudinal axis and expanding the PET preform along a transverse or radial axis to form a PET container. The combination promotes what manufacturers define as biaxial orientation of the molecular structure in the container. Manufacturers of PET containers currently use mechanical processing to produce PET containers having approximately 20% crystallinity in the container's sidewall.
Thermal processing involves heating the material (either amorphous or semi-crystalline) to promote crystal growth. On amorphous material, thermal processing of PET material results in a spherulitic morphology that interferes with the transmission of light. In other words, the resulting crystalline material is opaque, and thus, generally undesirable. Used after mechanical processing, however, thermal processing results in higher crystallinity and excellent clarity for those portions of the container having biaxial molecular orientation. The thermal processing of an oriented PET container, which is known as heat setting, typically includes blow molding a PET preform against a mold heated to a temperature of approximately 250° F.-350° F. (approximately 121° C.-177° C.), and holding the blown container against the heated mold for approximately two (2) to five (5) seconds. Manufacturers of PET juice bottles, which must be hot-filled at approximately 185° F. (85° C.), currently use heat setting to produce PET bottles having an overall crystallinity in the range of approximately 25% -35%.
Container bases are often made to flex to absorb both internal and external pressures. While current container bases are suitable for their intended use, they are subject to improvement. The present teachings advantageously include improved vacuum absorbing bases that that provide the advantages set forth herein, as well as numerous others that one skilled in the art will appreciate. The vacuum absorbing bases according to the present teachings also provide numerous unexpected results, as one skilled in the art will appreciate.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARYThe present teachings provide for a container including an opening and a lightweight base. The opening is defined by a finish portion. The base is at an end of the container opposite to the opening. The base is configured to be light weight and includes a standing ring extending inward from a heal to a center pushup portion, which includes a pushup ring surrounding an inversion portion. In an as-blown position the inversion portion extends outward and beyond the pushup ring such that the inversion portion is further from the opening than the pushup ring. In a filled position the inversion portion may be inverted relative to the as-blown position such that the inversion portion extends inward so as to be closer to the opening than the pushup ring. The inversion portion is mechanically moved from the as-blown position to the filled position with an inversion device after the container has been filled. Alternately the inversion portion may be used as a light-weighting feature and may not be inverted.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONExample embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on”, “engaged to”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to”, “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
This disclosure provides for a container being made of PET and incorporating a base design having an optimized size and shape that resists container loading and pressures caused by hot fill pressure and resultant vacuum, and helps maintain container shape and response.
It should be appreciated that the size and specific configuration of the container may not be particularly limiting and, thus, the principles of the present teachings can be applicable to a wide variety of PET container shapes. Therefore, it should be recognized that variations can exist in the present embodiments. That is, it should be appreciated that the teachings of the present disclosure can be used in a wide variety of containers, including rectangular, round, oval, squeezable, recyclable, and the like.
As shown in
In some embodiments, container 10 has been designed to retain a commodity. The commodity may be in any form such as a solid or semi-solid product. In one example, a commodity may be introduced into the container during a thermal process, typically a hot-fill process. For hot-fill bottling applications, bottlers generally fill the container 10 with a product at an elevated temperature between approximately 155° F. to 205° F. (approximately 68° C. to 96° C.) and seal the container 10 with a closure before cooling. In addition, the plastic container 10 may be suitable for other high-temperature pasteurization or retort filling processes or other thermal processes as well. In another example, the commodity may be introduced into the container under ambient temperatures.
As shown in
The exemplary container 10 may also have a neck 23. The neck 23 may have an extremely short height, that is, becoming a short extension from the finish 20, or an elongated height, extending between the finish 20 and the shoulder portion 22. The upper portion 14 can define an opening for filling and dispensing of a commodity stored therein. The container can be a beverage container; however, it should be appreciated that containers having different shapes, such as sidewalls and openings, can be made according to the principles of the present teachings.
The finish 20 of the exemplary plastic container 10 may include a threaded region 46 having threads 48, a lower sealing ridge 50, and a support ring 51. The threaded region provides a means for attachment of a similarly threaded closure or cap (not shown). Alternatives may include other suitable devices that engage the finish 20 of the exemplary plastic container 10, such as a press-fit or snap-fit cap for example. Accordingly, the closure or cap engages the finish 20 to preferably provide a hermetical seal of the exemplary plastic container 10. The closure or cap is preferably of a plastic or metal material conventional to the closure industry and suitable for subsequent thermal processing.
In some embodiments, the container 10 can comprise a lightweight base configuration 100 generally formed in base portion 28. Base configuration 100 can comprise any one of a number of features that facilitate vacuum response, improve structural integrity, minimize container weight, and/or improve overall performance of container 10. As discussed herein, base configuration 100 can be used in connection with any container shape, however, by way of illustration, containers having rectangular and cylindrical cross-sections will be examined. The base portion 28 functions to close off the bottom portion of the plastic container 10 to retain a commodity in the container 10.
Referring back to
In the embodiments of
The base portion 28 can further include a central pushup portion 140, which is most clearly illustrated in
Other shapes of the central pushup portion 140 are within the scope of the present disclosure. For instance, as shown in
As shown in
The side surface 148 can also be stepped in some embodiments. Also, the side surface 148 can include ribs, convex or concave dimples, or rings.
The exact shape of the central pushup 140 can vary greatly depending on various design criteria. For additional details about suitable shapes of central pushup 140, attention should be directed to commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/847,050, which published as U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0017700, which was filed on Jul. 30, 2010, and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The central pushup 140 is generally where the preform gate is captured in the mold when the container 10 is blow molded. Located within the top surface 146 is the sub-portion of the base portion 28, which typically includes polymer material that is not substantially molecularly oriented.
The container 10 can be hot-filled and, upon cooling, a vacuum in the container 10 can cause the central pushup 140 to move (e.g., along the axis 150, etc.) to thereby decrease the internal volume of the container 10. The central pushup 140 can also resiliently bend, flex, deform, or otherwise move in response to these vacuum forces. For instance, the top surface 146 can be flat or can convexly curve without the vacuum forces, but the vacuum forces can draw the top surface 146 upward to have a concave curvature as shown in
Various factors have been found for the base portion 28 that can enhance such vacuum performance. In conventional applications, it has been found that material can be trapped or otherwise urged into the pushup portion of the base. The amount of material in these conventional applications is often more than is required for loading and/or vacuum response and, thus, represents unused material that adds to container weight and cost. This can be overcome by tailoring the pushup diameter (or width in terms of non-conical applications) and/or height to achieve improved loading and/or vacuum response from thinner materials. That is, by maximizing the performance of the central pushup 140, the remaining container portions need not be designed to withstand a greater portion of the loading and vacuum forces, thereby enabling the overall container to be made lighter at a reduced cost. When all portions of the container are made to perform more efficiently, the container can be more finely designed and manufactured.
To this end, it has been found that by reducing the diameter of central pushup 140 and increasing the pushup height thereof, the material can be stretched more for improved performance. With reference to
In some embodiments shown in
In some embodiments, as illustrated throughout the figures and notably in
At least a portion of the strap surface 173 can extend substantially parallel to the plane of the contact surfaces 134 as shown in
The shape, dimensions, and other features of the straps 170 can depend upon container shape, styling, and performance criteria. Moreover, it should be recognized that the offset (along the axis 15) of one strap 170 can differ from the offset of another strap 170 on a single container to provide a tuned or otherwise varied load response profile. Straps 170 can interrupt contact surface 134, thereby resulting in a plurality of contact surfaces 134 (also known as a footed or segmented standing surface). Because of the offset nature of straps 170 and their associate shape, size, and inclination (as will be discussed), straps 170 is visible from a side view orientation and formable via simplified mold systems (as will be discussed).
It has been found that the use of straps 170 can serve to reduce the overall material weight needed within base portion 28, compared to conventional container designs, while simultaneously providing sufficient and comparable vacuum performance. In other words, straps 170 have permitted containers according to the principles of the present teachings to achieve and/or exceed performance criteria of conventional containers while also minimizing container weight and associated costs.
In some embodiments, container 10 can include at least one strap 170 disposed in base portion 28. However, in alternative designs, additional straps 170 can be used, such as two, three, four, five, or more. Multiple straps 170 can radiate from the central pushup portion 140 and the longitudinal axis 150. In some embodiments, the straps 170 can be equally spaced apart about the axis 150.
Typically, although not limiting, rectangular containers (
Similarly, although not limiting, cylindrical containers (
It should also be noted that strap 170 can be used in conjunction with the aforementioned central pushup 140, which would thereby interrupt straps 170. However, alternatively, it should be noted that benefits of the present teachings may be realized using straps 170 without central pushup 140.
As illustrated in the several figures, straps 170 can define any one or a number of shapes and sizes having assorted dimensional characteristics and ranges. However, it has been found that particular strap designs can lead to improved vacuum absorption and container integrity. By way of non-limiting example, it has been found that straps 170 can define a strap plane or central axis 172 that is generally parallel to contact surface 134 and/or a surface upon which container 10 sits, thereby resulting in a low strap angle. In other embodiments, strap plane/axis 172 can be inclined relative to contact surface 135 and/or the surface upon which container 10 sits, thereby resulting in a high strap angle. In some embodiments, this inclined strap plane/axis 172 can be inclined such that a lowest-most portion of inclined strap plane/axis 172 is toward an inbound or central area of container 10 and a highest-most portion of inclined strap plane/axis 172 is toward an outbound or external area of container 10 (e.g. adjacent sidewall portion 24). Examples of such inclination can be seen in
Low strap angles (e.g.,
By way of non-limiting example, it has been found that an inclination angle a (
With particular reference to
In some embodiments, as illustrated in
The plastic container 10 of the present disclosure is a blow molded, biaxially oriented container with a unitary construction from a single or multi-layer material. A well-known stretch-molding, heat-setting process for making the one-piece plastic container 10 generally involves the manufacture of a preform (not shown) of a polyester material, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), having a shape well known to those skilled in the art similar to a test-tube with a generally cylindrical cross section. An exemplary method of manufacturing the plastic container 10 will be described in greater detail later.
Referring to
In some embodiments, base system 310 can comprise a lower pressure cylinder to extend and retract a push up member 323 (shown in phantom in
An exemplary blow molding method of forming the container 10 will now be described. A preform version of container 10 includes a support ring, which may be used to carry or orient the preform through and at various stages of manufacture. For example, the preform may be carried by the support ring, the support ring may be used to aid in positioning the preform in a mold cavity 321 (
In one example, a machine (not illustrated) places the preform heated to a temperature between approximately 190° F. to 250° F. (approximately 88° C. to 121 °C.) into the mold cavity. The mold cavity may be heated to a temperature between approximately 250° F. to 350° F. (approximately 121° C. to 177° C.). A stretch rod apparatus (not illustrated) stretches or extends the heated preform within the mold cavity to a length approximately that of the intermediate container thereby molecularly orienting the polyester material in an axial direction generally corresponding with the central longitudinal axis of the container 10. While the stretch rod extends the preform, air having a pressure between 300 PSI to 600 PSI (2.07 MPa to 4.14 MPa) assists in extending the preform in the axial direction and in expanding the preform in a circumferential or hoop direction thereby substantially conforming the polyester material to the shape of the mold cavity and further molecularly orienting the polyester material in a direction generally perpendicular to the axial direction, thus establishing the biaxial molecular orientation of the polyester material in most of the intermediate container. The pressurized air holds the mostly biaxial molecularly oriented polyester material against the mold cavity for a period of approximately two (2) to five (5) seconds before removal of the intermediate container from the mold cavity. This process is known as heat setting and results in a heat-resistant container suitable for filling with a product at high temperatures.
Alternatively, other manufacturing methods, such as for example, extrusion blow molding, one step injection stretch blow molding and injection blow molding, using other conventional materials including, for example, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), a PET/PEN blend or copolymer, and various multilayer structures may be suitable for the manufacture of plastic container 10. Those having ordinary skill in the art will readily know and understand plastic container manufacturing method alternatives.
With additional reference to
The base 30 includes lightweight base configuration 100, which generally includes straps 170, central pushup portion 140, and ribs 180. The straps 170 extend generally radially from the central longitudinal axis 150 away from the central pushup portion 140 to the sidewall portion 124. Each one of the straps 170 is spaced apart about the base 30. The straps 170 can be spaced apart at any suitable interval, such as a generally uniform interval as illustrated in
Each one of the straps 170 extends along the strap plane/axis 172 thereof and is thus an elongated strap. The straps 170 are illustrated as each having a width that generally increases along a length thereof, such that each strap is widest at the sidewall portion 24 and most narrow proximate to the central longitudinal axis 150. In other words, the strap surface 173 extends further from either side of the strap plane/axis 172 at the sidewall portion 24 as compared to proximate to the central longitudinal axis 150.
Each strap 170 generally includes a first end 176 and a second end 178, which are at opposite ends of each strap 170 along the strap plane/axis 172 thereof. The first end 176 is proximate to the longitudinal axis 150 and the second end is at the sidewall portion 24. Each strap 170 extends linearly from the first end 176 to the second end 178, such as linearly along the strap plane/axis 172 extending along the strap surface 173 from the first end 176 to the second end 178 at the peak 175. Each strap 170 is generally inclined along the strap plane/axis 172 thereof from the first end 176 to the second end 178, such that the first end 176 is generally at the contact surface/foot surface 134 of the base 30 and the second end 178 is at the peak 175. Therefore, the second end 178 is further recessed into the base 30 as compared to the first end 176, which may not be recessed into the base 30 at all. Although the straps 170 are illustrated as generally being inclined or sloped in this manner, the straps 170 need not be inclined, and thus the strap plane/axis 172 may extend linearly such that the strap plane/axis 172 is perpendicular to, or substantially perpendicular to, the central longitudinal axis 150 along its entire length or a substantial portion thereof.
The base 30 further includes a plurality of the ribs 180, which as illustrated in the container 10 of
With reference to
With continued reference to
With reference to
As illustrated in
As the straps 170 move to the position at 170′, an outward strap radius 202 will generally decrease and move to position 202′. The outward strap radius 202/202′ is generally measured at the smallest radius where the straps 170 transition to the sidewall portion 24 at an interior of the container 10. As illustrated in
With reference to
As also illustrated in
With reference to
As the volume displaced of the container increases, the width Ws of each strap 170 (see
With additional reference to
The main body portion 12 includes the sidewall 24, which extends to the base portion 30 of the container 10. The sidewall 24 defines an internal volume 326 of the container 10 at an interior surface thereof. The sidewall 24 may be tapered inward towards the longitudinal axis 150 at one or more areas of the sidewall 24 in order to define recesses or ribs 350 at an exterior surface of the sidewall 32, as well as an inwardly tapered portion 352 between the ribs 350 and the shoulder portion 22. As illustrated, the sidewall 24 defines five recesses or ribs 350a-350e. However, any suitable number of recesses or ribs 350 can be defined. The ribs 350 can have any suitable external diameter, which may vary amongst the different ribs 350.
In response to an internal vacuum, the ribs 350 can articulate about the sidewall 24 to arrive at a vacuum absorbed position, as illustrated in
The combination of base portion 30, which as described above is a vacuum base portion 30, and the horizontal ribs 350 allows the container 10 to reach a state of hydraulic charge up when a top load force is applied after the container 10 is filled, as illustrated in
More specifically, in the as-blown, prefilled configuration AB of
With reference to
The features described in conjunction with the container 10 illustrated in
With additional reference to
The container 10 further includes a base portion 450, which is at lower end 358 of the container 10. The lower end 358 is opposite to upper end 356, at which is opening 360 through which any suitable product may be added to, and dispensed from, internal volume 326 of the container 10. The base 450 generally includes a heel 452 and a standing surface 454. As described herein the base 450 is generally circular, but the base 450 may have any other suitable shape. For example, the base 450 may be oval, rectangular, square, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, or polygonal. Although the base 450 is initially described in conjunction with the container 10, the base 450 may be included with any other suitable container, including the container 610 of
With continued reference to
The center pushup portion 460 includes a pushup ring 462, which is recessed so as to be above the standing ring 456 and standing surface 454 when the container 10 is stood upright in the position of
After the container 10 has been hot-filled with any suitable hot fill product, the inversion portion 470 is mechanically inverted by any suitable mechanical inversion device. For example and as illustrated in
As the inversion portion 470 moves inward and inverts, the inversion area 466 generally rolls inward to the filled position of
As illustrated in
The base 450 can further include a plurality of outer ribs 496. Any suitable number of outer ribs 496 can be included, such as two outer ribs 496 between two straps 490 for a total of ten outer ribs 496. Each outer rib 496 extends across the heel 452 towards the center pushup portion 460, and can terminate prior to reaching the center pushup portion 460 as is the case in the example illustrated. The outer ribs 496 are recessed into the base 450, and facilitate flexion of the base 450. The base 450 can further include a plurality of inner ribs 498. The inner ribs 498 are spaced apart about the base 450 and can be arranged at any suitable location. In the example illustrated, each one of the inner ribs 498 is positioned between a strap 490 and an outer rib 496. Each inner rib 498 extends across at least a portion of the standing ring 456, and protrudes outward from the base 450 in the direction of the lower end 358.
As explained above, the base 450 can be included with any suitable container in addition to the container 10. For example and with reference to
The base portion 450 of the container 610 can also include a spotting lug 612, which is used to orient the container 10/610 when applying a label to the body portion 618. The spotting lug 612 can be included with any suitable base of any suitable container, such as any of the other containers and bases described herein, including the base 450 of container 10. The spotting lug 612 generally includes a first or horizontal surface 614, and a second or vertical surface 616. The horizontal surface 614 extends inward generally from the heel 452, and generally transitions into the vertical surface 616. The vertical surface 616 extends generally parallel to the central longitudinal axis 150 generally between the horizontal surface 114 and the standing ring 456. The base 450 of the container 610 can include any one or more of the straps 490, the outer ribs 496, and the inner rib 498, or be generally smooth similar to that illustrated in
The container 610 further includes a first panel 620A and a second panel 620B, which is generally opposite to the first panel 620A. The first panel 620A includes a recessed grip 622A, and the second panel 620B includes recessed grip 622B. Each one of the first and second panels 620A and 620B also includes surface features 624A and 624B respectively. The recessed grips 622A and 622B and the surface features 624A and 624B can be any suitable surface features configured to facilitate grasping of the container 610. For example, the recessed grips 622A and 622B can be recessed portions of the container 610 sized and shaped to accommodate a person's fingers, and the surface features 624A and 624B can be raised surface features that make it easier to grasp the container 610.
Exemplary advantages of the base 450 will now be described. The base 450 advantageously provides for wall thicknesses at the base 450 and the body portion 12/618 within the range of 0.25mm-1.0 mm. At the heel 452, the thickness of the base 450 is advantageously greater than other flexible bases due to reduced axial stretch. For example, during an interim molding step illustrated in
Arranging the inversion portion 470 at generally a center one-half of the entire base 450 advantageously increases the area of the standing ring 456. As a result, flexion of the flexible standing ring 456 is able to absorb a greater amount of internal container pressure that may develop when the container is dropped, frozen, etc. Furthermore, any imperfections in the base 450 that may occur at the parting line 458 will be less discernable as compared to existing flexible base containers, which typically have the parting line at the standing surface.
The position of the inversion portion 470 at the center one-half of the base 450 also advantageously reduces any possibility of reversion of the inversion portion 470 from the filled position of
The base 450 can be provided with any suitable weight and thickness. In general, more compressive/actuation force will be required to be exerted by the inversion rod 480 to invert a relatively heavy/thick base 450 as compared to a relatively light/thin base 450. If the base 450 is too heavy and thick, it may be difficult or not possible to invert the inversion portion 470 with the inversion rod 480. On the other hand, if the base 450 is too light and thin, the inversion portion 470 may undesirably revert from the inverted/filled position to the as-blown position. Thus although the base 450 can generally have any suitable weight, the weight and thickness should be large enough to permit inversion by the inversion rod 480 at an acceptable force at which reversion is unlikely. During an interim molding step illustrated in
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A container comprising:
- an opening defined by a finish portion;
- a base at an end of the container opposite to the opening, the base including a standing ring extending inward from a heel to a center pushup portion, the center pushup portion including a pushup ring surrounding an inversion portion; and
- a mold parting line between the standing ring and the pushup ring of the center pushup portion, the mold parting line and the pushup ring are formed by a movable mold pushup member that extends into the base as the container is being blow molded;
- wherein: in an as-blown position the inversion portion extends outward and beyond the pushup ring such that the inversion portion is further from the opening than the pushup ring; in a final position the inversion portion is inverted relative to the as-blown position such that the inversion portion extends inward so as to be closer to the opening than the pushup ring; and the inversion portion is mechanically moved from the as-blown position to the final position with an inversion device after the container has been filled and capped.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein the mold parting line is spaced apart from, and raised above, a standing surface of the container.
3. The container of claim 1, wherein the standing ring is a flexible standing ring.
4. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is a polymeric, hot-fill container formed by blow molding.
5. The container of claim 1, wherein the pushup ring includes an inversion area that rolls into an internal volume defined by the container as the inversion portion is mechanically moved from the as-blown position to the final position.
6. The container of claim 1, wherein the inversion device is an inversion rod.
7. The container of claim 1, wherein the base includes a plurality of straps spaced apart about the standing ring of the base, the straps extend into the standing ring and are configured to facilitate flexion of the standing ring.
8. The container of claim 7, wherein the plurality of straps extend across the heel and across the standing ring towards the center pushup portion, the plurality of straps terminate prior to reaching the center pushup portion.
9. The container of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of ribs spaced apart about the standing ring of the base, at least one of the plurality of ribs is between two of the plurality of straps.
10. The container of claim 9, wherein the plurality of ribs include a plurality of recessed ribs extending across the heel and towards the center pushup portion.
11. The container of claim 10, wherein the plurality of ribs further include a plurality of protruding ribs extending across at least a portion of the standing ring towards the center pushup portion.
12. The container of claim 1, wherein:
- in the as-blown position and the final position, the pushup ring is generally circular; and
- when transitioning to the final position, the pushup ring has a polygonal shape.
13. The container of claim 1, wherein in the final position the standing ring is configured to flex outward to absorb increased force within the container.
14. The container of claim 1, wherein the inversion portion reduces vacuum within the container in the final position.
15. The container of claim 1, wherein the inversion portion creates a positive pressure within the container in the final position.
16. The container of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the pushup portion is about 50% of the container diameter.
17. The container of claim 1, wherein the projected surface area of the pushup portion is about 20% to about 25% of the projected base surface area.
18. The container of claim 1, wherein the projected surface area of the pushup ring is about 15% to about 20% of the projected base surface area.
19. The container of claim 1, wherein the inversion ring is formed by an interim pushup molding step.
20. The container of claim 1, wherein the inversion portion rolls when transitioning to the final position.
21. A container comprising:
- an opening defined by a finish portion;
- a base at an end of the container opposite to the opening, the base including a standing surface of the container;
- a mold parting line of the base that is spaced apart from the standing surface, and raised above the standing surface such that the mold parting line is closer to the opening than the standing surface;
- a central pushup portion surrounded by the mold parting line; and
- an inversion portion of the central pushup portion through which a longitudinal axis of the container extends, in an as-blown position the inversion portion extends outward and beyond the pushup ring such that the inversion portion is further from the opening than the pushup ring, in a final position the inversion portion is inverted relative to the as-blown position such that the inversion portion extends inward so as to be closer to the opening than the pushup ring.
22. The container of claim 21, wherein the container is a polymeric hot-fill container formed by blow molding.
23. The container of claim 21, further comprising a pushup ring surrounding the inversion portion.
24. The container of claim 23, wherein the mold parting line is between a standing ring including the standing surface and the pushup ring, the standing ring is configured to flex outward to absorb increased force within the container.
25. The container of claim 21, wherein the base further includes an inversion area of a pushup ring that rolls into an internal volume defined by the container as the inversion portion is mechanically moved from the as-blown position to the filled position.
26. The container of claim 21, wherein the inversion portion is mechanically moved from the as-blown position to the filled position after the container has been hot-filled.
27. The container of claim 21, wherein the base further includes a plurality of straps spaced apart about a standing ring of the base, a plurality of outer ribs between the straps, and a plurality of inner ribs arranged inward of the outer ribs.
28. The container of claim 21, wherein the inversion portion reduces vacuum within the container in the final position.
29. The container of claim 21, wherein the inversion portion creates a positive pressure within the container in the final position.
30. The container of claim 21, wherein the diameter of the pushup portion is about 50% of the container diameter.
31. The container of claim 21, wherein the projected surface area of the pushup portion is about 20% to about 25% of the projected base surface area.
32. The container of claim 21, wherein the projected surface area of the pushup ring is about 15% to about 20% of the projected base surface area.
33. The container of claim 21, wherein the inversion ring is formed by an interim pushup molding step.
34. The container of claim 21, wherein the inversion portion rolls when transitioning to the final position.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Nov 14, 2016
Date of Patent: Jan 14, 2020
Patent Publication Number: 20170096249
Assignee: AMCOR RIGID PLASTICS USA, LLC (Wilmington, DE)
Inventors: Michael T. Lane (Brooklyn, MI), Walter Paegel (Jackson, MI), Peidong Han (Saline, MI)
Primary Examiner: Andrew T Kirsch
Assistant Examiner: Jennifer Castriotta
Application Number: 15/350,558
International Classification: B65D 1/02 (20060101); B65D 79/00 (20060101); B67C 7/00 (20060101); B67C 3/22 (20060101); A47G 19/22 (20060101); B29C 49/28 (20060101); B29C 49/12 (20060101); B29C 49/54 (20060101); B29L 31/00 (20060101);